Dishwashing oscillating spray tube



April 13, 1965 w. A. HANIFAN DISHWASHING OSCILLATING SPRAY TUBE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1963 INVENTOR M7254 4 )zzmi/Zw y. C gvamHIS ATTORNEY April 13, 1965 w. A. HANIFAN 3,173,117

DISHWASHING QSCILLATING SPRAY TUBE Filed May 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR M'Hiam Q fr'amfiw BY (EM United States Patent 3,178,117DISHWASHENG QCHJLATENG SPRAY TUBE William A. Hanifan, Southgate, Mich,assignor to Genoral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation ofDelaware Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,135 l. (31mm. (Cl. 239-242)This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly toan improved oscillating spray tube arrangement for a dishwasher or thelike.

The use of oscillating spray tubes in dishwashers is often desired inorder to secure as complete a spray coverage as is possible of dishwaresupported in cleaning relationship therewith. Mechanical drivearrangements used to drive such oscillating spray tubes require amachinery compartment having a substantial volume and therefore create aspace problem where the dishwasher is to be placed in compactarrangements, for example, Where the dishwasher is intended for use as acountertop appliance.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedoscillating spray tube arrangement for producing a complete spraycoverage of a dishwashing chamber without requiring a large machinerycompartment in association therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved meansfor oscillating a spray tube by means of the water passing therethrough.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dishwashingappliance with a spray tube driven in an oscillating manner by means ofa periodically changeable fluid reaction arrangement supported whollywith the dishwashing chamber; and to provide such a fluid reactionarrangement including a pair of opposed reaction jet openings, valvemeans and improved valve actuator means adapted to selectively move saidvalve means to cover one of the openings and uncover the other of theopenings in response to the oscillations of said spray tube.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings where in a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view in vertical section of a dishwaterarrangement including the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View in horizontal section taken along the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top elevation with portionsthereof being sectioned of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along theline 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a firstoperative position;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a secondoperative position;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the invention in a thirdoperative position; and

FIGURE 8 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 8-8 ofFIGURE 4.

Referring now to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings, a dishwasher it isrepresentatively illustrated as comprising side walls 12, 14, a rearwall 16, a top wall 18 and an imperforate bottom bulkhead 19 forming agenerally rectangular dishwashing chamber Ztl. The front of thedishwashing chamber 29 is closed by a pivoted door 22 that opens toprovide access into the chamber 20 for positioning conventional dishraclcs therein on suitable rack support means (not shown). Theimperforate bottom bulkhead 19 separates the washing chamber 26 from amachinery compartment 24 formed in part by an off-set portion 25 of therear wall 16. The bottom bulkhead 19 also has a sump 26 centrallylocated therein connected by means of a conduit 23 to the inlet of apump 36 having the outlet thereof connected by means of a conduit 32 toan inlet header 34 for supplying washing fluid to spray tubes 36, 38representatively illustrated as being located in spaced parallelism anddi rected longitudinally of the washing chamber 26 adjacent the bottombulkhead 19. Each of the spray tubes 36, 38 has a plurality of outletports 4t) therein for directing fluid therefrom against articlessupported Within chamber 20. Each tube 36, 38 also is rotatablysupported at one end thereof on the water inlet header 34 by a fluidsealing collar assembly 41 and at the opposite end thereof on a frame 42adjacent the side wall 12 by means of a tube oscillating mechanism 44embodying certain features of the present invention.

In operation suitable dish racks are loaded and placed on suitable dishrack carrying frame members within the dishwashing chamber 2G and thedoor 22 is closed. A conventional timer control 46 may be set for a.given washing cycle at which point water will be introduced through aninlet line 48 to the sump 26 under the con trol of a supply valve 50.The water introduced to sump 26 is heated by a heater unit 52 supportedin the sump 26 and a motor 54 for driving the pump 30 is energized tocause water to be circulated from the sump 26 through the inlet conduit28, the pump 39, the conduit 32 and the header 34 into the spray tubes36, 38 from whence it is sprayed through ports 40 against articles to becleaned. Following a predetermined Washing cycle a two-Way valve 56 isenergized to divert the fluid circulated by pump 39 through a line 58 toa suitable drain. The abovedescribed dishwasher and cycle of operationis more detailedly set forth in the patent to Albresch et al., 2,808,-063 issued October 1, 1957 and represents an illustrative example of atypical dishwasher that is suited for use with the present invention.

The improved tube oscillating mechanism 42 of the present invention islocated wholly within the dishwashing chamber 20 to thereby eliminatemachinery compartment space previously devoted to mechanical linkagearrangements for producing an oscillating drive of a spray tube. Theoscillating mechanism 44- will be described with reference to spray tube36, it being understood that an identical mechanism drives tubes '38..Accordingly, as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 8, the oscillating mechanism44 includes a cap element 6t} secured on the end of the spray tube 36forming a reaction chamber 61 in communication with the interior of thetube 36 with the cap being rotatably secured to the frame member 42 bymeans of a pin 62 having one end thereof journalled in the member 42 andthe opposite end thereof being journalled in an inwardly directed hubportion 63 formed in the end wall of the cap member 60. The cap elementhas a pair of openings 64, 65 located on either side of the outerperiphery thereof for directing fluid jets from the reaction chamber 61in opposite directions therefrom. The oscillating mechanism 44 furtherincludes a valve plate 66 rotatably supported by the pin 62 injuxtaposition with the end Wall of the cap at Spaced tab portions 68,7t) on the valve plate 66 are directed across the outer periphery of thecap fill for selectively opening and closing the water jet openings 64,65. A toggle spring 72 has one end thereof connected to a fixed pin 74on the frame 42 and the opposite end thereof secured to a fixed pin 76on the rotatable valve plate 66 for causing rotation thereof relative tothe cap 66 between fixed points thereon defined by a pair of spacedvalve plate positioning pins '73, 80 secured on the end Wall of 3 r thecap 60 and being directed outwardly thereof toward the frame 42. Asecond pair of spaced pins 82, 84 are secured to the inside surface ofthe support 42 for engag ement with fiat surfaces 86, 83, respectively,on the outer periphery of the cap element 60 for limiting rota: tionofthe spray tube 36.

By virtue'of the above-described oscillating tube'mechanism 42, thewashing fluid passed into the tubes 36, 38 issues as water jets-from theopenings 64, 65 to produce a reaction on- .the cap 60 tothereby causethe tube connected thereto to oscillate and produce a relativelycomplete dishwashing spray pattern within the washing chamber 20. Moreparticularly, at the start of a washing cycle one of the fiat faces 86,88 on thecap 60 isheld against one of the abutment pins 82, 84 by thetoggle spring 72 acting through'the valve plate 66and the valve platepositioning pins 78, St). For example, whenthe cap element 60 and valveplate 66 are positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the toggle spring 72is in a first overtog gle position to the left that holds the cap 60against the abutment pin 84 and forces the valve plate 66 against thelocating pin 7 S to position theinwardly directed tab portions68, 70relative to the cap 60 so as to open the water jet openings 64 011 oneside ,of the cap and close the water'jet openings 65 on the oppositesidethereof. The water jets passing through the openings 64 cause areaction on the cap 60 that produces a clockwise torque thereon, asviewed in FIGURE 4, which rotates the tube 36' in a clockwise directioninto the position illustrated in FIGURE Where the toggle spring 72 isstill in an overtoggle position to the left. Further clockwise rotationof'the cap 66 moves'the spring 72 into an overtoggle position to theright as viewed in FIGURE 6' to thereby shift the valve plate 66 awayfrom the valve plate positioning pin 78 and toward the valveplatepositioning pin 85) to cause the valve plate tabs 6-8, 76 to moveinto positions Where the water jet openings 64 are closed and thewater'jet openings 6-5'are opened as best illustrated in 7 FIGURE 7. Theclockwise movement of the cap element 60 is limited by the abutment pin82 and when the valve plate 66 is shiftedinto the position illustratedin FIGURE 7; and water jets passing through the openings 65 produce areaction on'the cap element 60 causingv a counterclockwise rotationthereof to rotate the tube 36 in an opposite direction toward theabutment pin 84. During the counterclockwise rotation of the tube 36 andcap element 60, the toggle spring 72 will shift the valve plate 66-intothe positionillustrated in FIGURE 4 to terminate the water jet flowthrough the openings 65 and to reopen theopenings 64 to again impose aclockwise torque on the cap 60. The selective opening and closing of thewater jet openings 64, 65 .bythe tabs .68, 70 of the valve plate 66under the selective control 'of the toggle spring 72 will produce acontinuing oscillating movement of the spray tube 36; during the washingphase of the dishwashing cycle. Following the washing phase, the valve56 is energized to cause the pump 30 to drain water from the sump 26 toa suitable drain and terminate the pressurization of the tubes 36, 38and consequentlydeactivate the oscillating mechanisms 42,

It will be, appreciated that while the improved oscillating spray tubemechanism is particularly suited for use in a compact countertopdishwasher of the illustrated type, the concept of using such a waterreaction. mechanism for oscillating spray tubes is equally well suitedfor dishwashers using oscillating spray tubes as a means for indisclosed constitutes apreferred form, it is to be understood that otherforms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

In a dishwasher the combination of, an enclosure forming a washingcompartment, water supply means for directing Water'into saidcompartment, a spray tube communicating with said water supply means,means for rotatably supporting said spray tube in said compartment, acap element secured on one end of said tube having a reaction chamberformed therein'communicating with the interior of said tube, meansforming a plurality of opening in said cap element directing water jetsfrom said reaction chamber on either side thereof for rotatably drivingsaid spray tube, a valve plate, means for supporting said valve platefor rotation relative to said cap element, said valve plate having apair of tab portions directed longitudinally of said spray tube, togglemeans secured between said enclosure and said valve plate for selectively moving said valve plate into'a first and a second overtoggleposition, means for retaining said valve plate in said first and secondovertoggle position, one of'said tab portions blocking'an openingon oneside of said cap element when in the first overtoggle position forallowing a ,fiuid jet from an opening on the opposite side of said capelement to rotate said spray tube in a first direction, stop meanslimiting the rotation of said spraytube in said first direction,said'means for retaining said valve plate in said first overtoggleposition moving said valve plate toward the second overtoggle positionon rotation of said spray tube in said first direction with'said togglemeans shifting said valve plate into its second overtoggle positionwhere it is held by said retaining means, the other of said tab portionsblocking the opening on the other side of said cap element when saidvalve plate is in its second overtoggle position with the opening on theone side of said cap element having a fluid jet directedtherefrom forcausing rotation of] said spray tube in a second direction, said stopmeans limiting rotation of said spray tube in said second direction,said valve plate retaining means moving said valve plate in said seconddirection with said toggle means shifting said plate into its firstovertoggle position on rotation of said spray tube in said seconddirection, said tab portions continuing to selectively block openings onopposite sides of said cap element for oscillating said spray tubebetween said first and second limiting meansh References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,408,077 2/22 Clinton 239 --2552,022,396 11/35 Wiedenhold 239--98 2,238,044 4/ 41 Fullerton 2392552,266,573 12/41 Stone 'I 239235 2,564,639 8/5 1 Cuppett et =al. 239-982,808,063 10/57 Albresch et al 134-57 2,975,791 3/61 Pansini 239--255LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. EVERETT w, KIRBY, Examiner.

